An: Hopefully, this will be a multi chapter fic about how Andromeda and Ted became Andromeda and Ted. It may end up being an incomplete, one chapter fic if no one likes it. I hope you enjoy it.

Fraternizing is an Ugly word

Chapter 1 – Shine like the Stars

Andromeda Black was named after a constellation, which in turn been named after a princess who was saved by a passing hero. She hated the fact that she was named after someone too weak to help herself. As one of three girls, she had been brought up to stand up for herself, to fight her own battles, to never let anyone better her, but to also be ladylike and graceful while doing so. Her father had wished for boys, but when he got Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa, he resigned himself to the fact that the Black family name would not be carried on through them. However, he wanted them to be the best, so that he could at least, in later life, claim lineage to the best pureblood families. because while he believed his daughters had to be the best they could be, he also believed they needed a man to support them. He taught his daughters to be feisty, but to do it gracefully, he taught his daughters to be strong-minded, but enchanting, he taught his daughters to be brilliant.

And brilliant they were. Bellatrix had managed to enrapture the entire male pureblood society, simply by being so self-confident that they had no choice but to agree she was majestic. Of course, it no longer mattered, now that she was in a relationship with the second Lestrange boy. Her father wished it was the first - all the inheritance would one day be his - but he admitted with a sigh that it seemed unlikely anyone would ever make the oldest Lestrange settle down. He was seen with a different girl every night, and sometimes they weren't even pureblood. Andromeda did not understand his…relations with half bloods or mudbloods. It was as if he didn't care that they were tainted. Inferior. Turning to the other Black girl, Narcissa was an excellent student. She had achieved Os in all her OWLS, and was now beginning her sixth year. Their father had high hopes for her, that maybe she would join the ministry, maybe even become the first female Minister for Magic. This left Andromeda. It would appear that she was not particularly brilliant, not compared to the love life of her older sister and the brains of her younger sister. But Andromeda's skill was just as important; people trusted her. Other girls entrusted her with their secrets, boys trusted her to lie for them, and enemies trusted her not to attack. All were wrong to do so. She bartered secrets, sold out the boys and always won a duel. She had been blessed with a kind face, which hid her darker interior. In these ways, the Black girls were brilliant.

It was the start of her seventh and final year. Once again she was at Hogwarts, sitting in the common room, watching lesser girls trying to persuade haughty boys to give them some attention.

"Andromeda."

"Titus." She smiled slightly. "How lovely to see you again. I trust your summer was a good one."

He sat down next to her, sprawling across the rest of the sofa. "You know it was, you were there for most of it."

"Yes," she acknowledged. "Although I think your sister may have enjoyed herself rather too much."

The boy's face darkened at the mention of his sibling. "She disgraced us."

"Yes." This time the word carried a hint of amusement. "Yes, she did rather, didn't she." Thebe Greengrass and a stable boy had been discovered in an anteroom, amusing themselves, at one of the many summer balls. It had been Andromeda who had stumbled across them, and it was her who, with a well placed whisper, had ensured that it had been Greengrass senior who had come across them next. The following scene was horrific, and it still made her smile. Of course, no one knew that it had been Andromeda who had revealed them, which was why Titus was still speaking to her. Thebe had done considerable damage to the Greengrass' reputation and had also managed to guarantee that she would not be marrying a well-bred pureblood boy, but would be lucky to land a fourth born with no inheritance.

"I don't want to talk about her."

"Of course not, " Andromeda cooed. "Would you rather tell me about Holly Gamp?"

He stared at her in shock. "How do you know everything?" he breathed, with something like awe in his voice. "How in Merlin's name do you know about Holly Gamp?"

"She told me," Andromeda replied with a flick of her hair. "No need to be coy, Titus, she's no stable boy."

He flushed. "I told you I don't want to talk about my sister."

"So sorry," she replied in a tone of voice that suggested she wasn't sorry in the slightest. "I'm very happy for you two." Her voice changed slightly, as she began to tease him. "Anything to stop you asking me out again."

"You know that was a dare," he protested, before he recognised her comment as banter. He coughed. "I mean, maybe you're not good enough for me anymore."

She tolerated some teasing but mocking her worth was not a wise move. "With Bellatrix set to become a Mrs Lestrange? With Narcissa set to beat even Macmillan in their NEWTs? I think, Greengrass, that if anything, it is you who is no longer good enough."

He pulled a face. "Don't tease you about being suitable. Right, got it."

She laughed briefly. "I thought it was a lesson you learned long ago."

"Holly made me forget," he joked, but then he confided, "Dromeda, I have never felt this way before."

Andromeda smiled, running a hand along his arm. "Young love. It's so sweet."

He shifted on the sofa, so that they were closer and he could whisper as he spilled his heart to her. "She clouds my senses, and it's like the world brightens when she's holding my hand. And-" On and on, he talked endlessly about how the oldest Gamp was taking over his life, and he did not even care anymore. Andromeda listened to all of it, giving advice, encouraging him when he faltered and making sure she did not forget one single bit.

At breakfast she was surveying the tables, watching to see who was sitting that little bit closer than they had been the year before, when there was a wave of laughter causing her to turn her head. A vaguely blonde seventh year Hufflepuff had fallen over and managed to upset one of the Ravenclaw benches. She curled her lip in distaste, as she watched him apologise with a laidback smile.

"Dromeda?" A blonde girl had taken a seat next to her, and Andromeda smiled when she realised it was her younger sister.

"Cissy. Good morning." Andromeda took a sip from her goblet. "How are your friends?"
" Well." Narcissa's answer was clipped, as she reached for the toast. "Though it would appear that Helena has designs on Hel, despite her being poor."

"Narcissa," Andromeda began to admonish. "We never say poor." She allowed herself a small smile. "We say inferior."

Narcissa rolled her eyes, and turned to her breakfast. Andromeda was about to leave the hall when an unfamiliar owl landed in front of her. She frowned, but accepted the letter from its leg.

'I just had to tell you you're beautiful.'

She frowned at the parchment. She didn't recognise the handwriting, and she looked around to see if anyone was laughing at her. There was no one. She frowned again. Who on earth would be sending her mysterious letters? She stood to leave, then rolled her eyes as the Hufflepuff tripped over again, this time right in front of her.

"Do you mind?" she asked coldly. "Some of us have places to go."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist," he said placating, clambering to his feet. "I don't normally fall over. I've got the wrong shoes on that's all."

"And why," she enquired icily, "do you have the wrong shoes on?"

"Dare," he shrugged, still smiling infuriatingly calmly. "C'mon. Don't tell me you Slytherin's never indulge in making your friends look stupid."

She sniffed. "We save that for our enemies." The last word was pointed as she looked him up and down.

He raised his eyebrows. "Hey, I never hurt anyone." He turned away, still chuntering to himself.

Andromeda shook her head. People like that could really ruin her day. As it was, she needed to decide if Helios needed to know about Helena's infatuation.